Road Trip - Into the Catacombs

Our first stop in Alexandria was at the Catacombs.  This is a small site, but most visitors give it good ratings on Trip Advisor because of the well-preserved artifacts from the Greek and Roman eras. (3rd century)

The entrance is well marked by some classic columns and after ensuring that you don't have any camera with you, the visitor descends 99 steps on a circular staircase.  A nearby photo documents the discovery by a passing donkey which fell into a hole back in 1901 revealing the site.



These are the tombs that are present in large numbers.


But these are ones that you probably want to take a close look at.


Say, isn't that tourist using a forbidden camera?  No, it's only a phone. Phones are OK, cameras are not. What's the difference today? you ask. This is Egypt. Don't try to make sense of things. Then it must be OK for us too so let's go ahead and take some photos for the blog.



It may not be evident to everyone but the depictions on the wall are a combination of ancient pharaonic design and Greek/Roman art.





If you have time to spare, it is worth browsing the neighborhood here as the narrow streets hold an interesting array of shops.